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Writing Prompt #81
A Recipe for Daily Joy
Mixing elements of my life into fuel for gratitude
I’ve been many people in my life. Shy child, sullen teen, compliant and then rebellious wife, caring mother, loyal friend, gone-wild divorcee, and sudden widow. All those stages, all those aspects of me, and the experiences I’ve had in each role, have been fertile ground for growth into the person I am now: An elder with some life learning to share. A spinner of stories.
In addition to much luck and many gifts, the trajectory of my years has included pain, regrets, disappointment, and many wrong turns. I used to spend time berating myself for some of the choices I’d made and wondering why some things couldn’t have been easier for me.
I’ve learned, though, to accept that everything that happened to me, including choosing to marry two men with alcohol addiction and unresolved mental health issues, happened because there were lessons in my choices for me, and those lessons have granted me the contentment and gratitude I feel today. I’m truly lucky despite (and maybe because of) it all.
In the cold winter months after my second husband died, when I was facing bankruptcy and an uncertain future, I developed a habit of listing 10 things a day I was grateful for. Things big as life and small as a…
